Monday, October 29, 2012

More on: D8 and D17

Back in September, this blog reported on the substantial relaunch of two national TV channels in France, now called D8 and D17 and owned by Canal+. The agencies behind that redesign are Flab Prod in Paris and Troika Design Group in Los Angeles. Neville Brody's Research Studios were also involved. Troika has posted two extensive case studies of their work, part of which are is republished below.
D8 is billed as the new major entertainment channel which is reflected in the on-air graphics that feature "rich, 3D graphic environments to give a premium, high-quality aesthetic". This particularly evident in the break bumpers that feature a large D8 logo in French landscapes. Troika also developed graphics for D8's news programme.

D8 stationery, published by Research Studios Paris.

For the youth/music channel D17, Troika aimed at the target audience with lifestyle and fashion still photography. Aside from the logo, D17 graphics are two-dimensional, using "jump cut" editing. This contrasts D8's fluid 3D world. The photos were taken around Los Angeles by Troika.

3 comments:

If there were no words in French here and there, I could be easily misled and think I am looking at two US TV channels! D8 and D17 look like very americanized, more than any other European channel (and I've seen a ton), both visually and with their sound ident. Very nice.

The ultra polished look has been becoming a lot more popular around Europe, however you're right it does look like it could be straight out of the US. M6, has been trending towards the same style and look like American channels, now with D8 as major competition I'm wondering if the other French networks will pursue similar styles?

State-owned television channels are not following this way; however, an american studio took part in TF1's current on-screen design of 2006 (TF1, not state-owned, is the most watched TV channel in France).

I find D8's on-screen design not inventive, and this rush for the glowing 3D can be boring when it is not used with a goal. And here I don't find another goal that showing that "now, D8 can show you 3D too".

My opinion on D17's new set is different. It is very stylish; and it erases the awful clichés of the previous on-screen design from Direct Star.